The disclosure is related to a pedal assembly for a motor vehicle designed to allow a displacement of a pedal arm of the pedal assembly from an operating position to a safety position in the event of a collision.
Different kinds of safety arrangements for motor vehicle pedals are known, wherein the pedal is allowed to move forward relative to the driving direction of the vehicle, in the event of a collision, thereby minimizing injuries of the driver's feet if the pedal structure moves towards the driver upon a collision.
In EP 2 578 454 B1 is described one such pedal safety arrangement. This safety arrangement comprises a pedal structure and a pedal hub for transferring a movement of the pedal structure to the vehicular system. The pedal structure comprises a pedal arm and a bracket fixedly connected to the pedal arm. The pedal structure is in a first position relative to the pedal hub during normal operation of the pedal structure. The pedal structure can, in the event of a collision, be displaced from the first position to a second position relative the pedal hub and in this second position the pedal structure is at least partly operatively decoupled from the pedal hub. When the pedal structure is in the second position, braking is still possible at a reduced stroke.
In EP 1 709 505 B1 is shown another pedal safety arrangement for a motor vehicle. The safety arrangement comprises a pedal support with a bracket which is secured in a bulkhead disposed in the vehicle between the passenger compartment of the vehicle and the engine room. A first shaft is secured in the bracket, horizontal and transversely directed in relation to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and a pedal arm provided with a footplate is pivotally arranged about the first shaft. An operating device is pivotally arranged in the pedal arm at a distance from the first shaft for maneuvering or controlling a vehicle function, e.g. braking. The first shaft, when in a normal position in the bracket, is locked by means of a locking device. In the event of a collision the locking device is openable for permitting displacement of the first shaft in the direction of travel of the vehicle to a safety position where the footplate is displaced away from the legs/feet of the vehicle driver but where the function of the operating device is at least partly retained.
Both above described pedal safety arrangements are quite space consuming, why it would be desirable with an alternative pedal safety arrangement which is more flexible and with less space requirements.
It is desirable to provide a pedal assembly which is more flexible than known solutions. It is also desirable to provide a pedal assembly which is less space consuming than known solutions. The invention is defined by the appended independent claims.
According to a first aspect there is provided a pedal assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising an elongated pedal arm having a first end and a second end comprising a pedal plate, wherein when the pedal arm is in an operating position the pedal arm is pivotably arranged about a rotation shaft at its first end, and a bracket, which is rotatably arranged around the rotation shaft and connected to the first end of the pedal arm through a pedal connection shaft. The pedal assembly further comprises a locking arrangement configured to, when in a locked state, lock the bracket in a first bracket position relative the pedal arm such that the bracket rotates with the pedal arm when the pedal arm pivots about the rotation shaft, and the pedal arm is held in the operating position. When the locking arrangement is changing from the locked state to an unlocked state, the bracket is unlocked from the pedal arm such that, under influence of gravity, the pedal arm is released form the rotation shaft and displaced from the operating position to a safety position, wherein the first end of the pedal arm is connected to the rotation shaft via the pedal connection shaft and the bracket, and the bracket is rotated relative the pedal arm about the rotation shaft and the pedal connection shaft in a direction substantially opposite to a direction of displacement of the second end of the pedal arm when the pedal arm is displaced from the operating position to the safety position to a second bracket position relative the pedal arm.
The pedal assembly may e.g. be a brake pedal assembly or a clutch pedal assembly. The rotation shaft around which the pedal arm in the operating position is pivotable and the bracket is rotatable may be a rotation hub connected to the chassis of the vehicle.
That the second end of the pedal arm is held in an operating position by the locking arrangement when in a locked state is here meant that the pedal arm is positioned for normal use, e.g. braking or clutching, through pressing of the pedal plate with the driver's foot. In the locked state, the bracket is fixed relative the pedal arm and does not rotate relative the pedal arm but rotates with the pivoting pedal arm.
The safety position is a position where the second end of the pedal arm and the pedal plate have been displaced away from the legs/feet of the vehicle driver as compared to when in the operating position, e.g. in the event of a collision or if a collision is about to occur. Thereby injuries to the driver's feet may be avoided or reduced if the pedal assembly moves towards the driver upon a collision.
The parts of the pedal assembly mainly involved when the pedal arm in case of e.g. a collision is moved from the operating position to the safety position are all arranged at the first end of the pedal arm, i.e. the bracket and the locking arrangement. Hence, this part of the pedal assembly may be made compact, not requiring a large space in a vehicle. Thereby, space is freed along the pedal arm for connection to e.g. an operating device for activating or controlling a vehicular function, such as a breaking function, a clutching function or the like. The present pedal assembly being flexible by allowing for pedal arm-operating device connections of different geometries. Further, by arranging the bracket and the locking arrangement at the first end of the pedal arm according to an aspect of the invention it is possible to use the present solution together with pedal arms of large geometric differences. Consequently, the same produced bracket and locking arrangement can be used for different pedal arms which results in larger productions series and in the end a more cost-efficient pedal assembly.
When the locking arrangement is changed from the locked state to an unlocked state, the bracket is unlocked from the pedal arm, such that, under influence of gravity, the pedal arm is released from the rotation shaft and displaced from the operating position to a safety position, wherein the first end of the pedal arm is connected to the rotation shaft via the pedal connection shaft and the bracket. The first end of the pedal arm is released from the rotation shaft when the locking arrangement is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state and the pedal arm is displaced from the operating position to the safety position, such that the pedal arm is no longer pivotable directly about the rotation shaft. When the locking arrangement is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state the bracket is rotated relative the pedal arm about the rotation shaft and the pedal connection shaft in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of displacement of the second end of the pedal arm when the pedal arm is displaced from the operating position to the safety position to a second bracket position relative the pedal arm. In the safety position the pedal arm is in connection with the rotation shaft via the pedal connection shaft and the bracket. In the safety position the bracket is in the second bracket position and may be locked relative the pedal arm, rotating with the pedal arm when the pedal plate is pressed by the driver's foot. As the pedal arm in the safety position is still in connection with the rotation shaft via the pedal connection shaft and the bracket, the pedal arm does not in the event of a collision come loose in the vehicle. Further, some force can still be exerted on the pedal arm in the safety position by pressing the pedal plate at the second end of the pedal arm. There is at least some displacement of the second end of the pedal arm in the safety position, i.e. there is a reduced stroke compared to when the pedal arm is in the operating position.
Under normal driving conditions the locking arrangement is in the locked state and the bracket in the first bracket position. In the event of a collision the locking arrangement is changed from the locked state to an unlocked state, the pedal arm being displaced from an operating position to a safety position. Locking the bracket relative the pedal arm in the first bracket position by means of the locking arrangement may be pure mechanical.
The change of the locking arrangement from a locked state to an unlocked state may be initiated by a collision as such, e.g. from the impact of a foot of a driver being located on the pedal plate, and/or from the deceleration of the vehicle, or when a safety arrangement is pushed rearwards in the vehicle i.e. towards the driver during the collision.
Alternatively, or in addition, an anti-collision system of the vehicle using collision sensors, e.g. camera, IR-camera, radar, lidar etc., may be used to detect that a collision may occur and to prepare the vehicle for the collision. To minimize injuries to persons in the vehicle and to the vehicle itself, based on such sensor signals, displacement of the pedal assembly from the operating position to the safety position may be performed. In other words, a detection of collision detected by a collision sensor may initiate a change of the locking arrangement from locked to unlocked state, which displaces the pedal arm from operating position to safety position.
The bracket may comprise a first and second bracket portion arranged on opposing sides of the first end of the pedal arm, a normal of a side of the pedal arm being substantially parallel with the rotation shaft, and the first and second bracket portions being connected to each other by a bracket connection member. The first and second bracket portions and the bracket connection member may be in one piece. Alternatively, the first and second bracket portions may be separate portions connected to each other through the bracket connection member.
The bracket connection member may be arranged on the back side of the first end of the pedal arm, a normal of the back side of the pedal arm being substantially perpendicular to the rotation shaft and pointing in the direction of displacement of the second end of the pedal arm when the pedal arm is displaced from the operating position to the safety position. When in the second bracket position, the bracket connection member may abut against the back side of the pedal arm. The displacement, i.e. the remaining pivoting function, of the pedal arm when pressing the pedal plate in the safety position may be controlled by the bracket connection member arranged on the back side of the first end of the pedal arm.
The bracket connection member may be a shaft connecting the first and second bracket portions. The shaft may have a circular, squared, rectangular or any other suitable cross section.
The first and second bracket portions may be provided with a respective through-hole to receive the rotation shaft, and the first and second bracket portions may be connected to the respective side of the pedal arm through the pedal connection shaft.
The pedal connection shaft may constitute projections on each side of the pedal arm to which projections the bracket portions may be connected.
The pedal connection shaft may constitute a through shaft through the pedal arm and the bracket portions may be connected to a respective end of the through shaft.
The locking arrangement may comprise an actuator, selected from a group of actuators comprising a pyrotechnical actuator, a mechanical actuator, an electrical actuator or any combination thereof, upon activation of which the locking arrangement changes from the locked state to the unlocked state.
The actuator may be connected to a collision sensor or any other sensor in the vehicle responding to a collision event.
The locking arrangement may comprise a first locking part arranged on a front side of the first end of the pedal arm, a normal of the front side of the pedal arm being substantially perpendicular to the rotation shaft and pointing in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of displacement of the second end of the pedal arm when the pedal arm is displaced from the operating position to the safety position, and a second locking part may be arranged to fixedly connect the bracket and the first locking part together, when the locking arrangement is in the locked state. When the locking arrangement is in the second state, the second locking part allows the bracket and the first locking part to be separated from each other. The second locking part may be completely removed or partially removed or changed in size, shape etc.
The actuator may be connected to the second locking part of the locking arrangement.
The first locking part of the locking arrangement and the bracket portions may be provided with recesses, grooves, slits or slots to receive the second locking part of the locking arrangement when in the locked state.
The through-hole of the respective bracket portion may have an area which is about the same size as a cross-sectional area of the rotation shaft. The size of the through-hole may be at most about 10% larger than the cross-sectional area of the rotation shaft and should not be as small as to hinder rotation of the bracket portion around the rotation shaft.
Alternatively, the through-hole of the respective bracket portion may have an area which is larger than a cross-sectional area of the rotation shaft, and wherein the through-hole may be provided with a restriction to hinder the bracket portions from moving, other than rotating, about the rotation shaft. The area of the through-hole may be 1.5 times larger, 2 times larger or 3 times larger than the cross-sectional area of the rotation shaft. The restriction may e.g. be a tapering, a protrusion etc.